Walk through the earliest times
The Route The route for the walk is ca. 1.5 km (1 mi) long and takes roughly 15 minutes to complete unless - of course - you decide to stop here and there for a while and take a closer look at some of the oldest buildings in the city of Poznań (founded in 1253). City Hall and the Old Square 13th century Poznań's Old Square is as old as the Poznań itself - its history reaches 13th century. City Hall was mentioned for first time in 1313 as Domus consulum. Every day, at noon, symbols of Poznań - two goats - perform a "fight" at City Hall tower. Their first fight took place in 1551. Woźna Street 13th century At first glance, the street seems to be simply yet another charming alley going away from the Old Square. The true history of this place, however, is full of blood, sex and mysteries. The name of the street comes from its most important medieval inhabitant - the municipal executioner. Apart from his usual duties - executing death sentences and performing other physical punishments - the executioner had the sole right to run... a brothel! Klasztorna Street 13th century Yet another small and quiet alley near the Old Square. The name comes from the bulding of Benedictine convent build in the 19th century. Prior to that, since the Middle Ages, the street had no name. Wielka Street and the Great Gate 13th century One of the oldest streets in Poznań. The main route connecting the City Hall and the Cathedral. In the Middle Ages the street was the main entrance to the city, guarded and protected by a fortifate gateway called the Great Gate. Chwaliszewo 15th century Chwaliszewo is a small district located between the Warta river and Garbary street. From 1444 to 1800 it was a separate city with its Hall, two churches and a hospital. Read more Chwaliszewo was connected with Poznań by Chwaliszewo bridge, build in 14th century. It's history is long and complicated (rebuild many times due to floods, fires and wars). Heavily damaged during Second War World it was demolished in 1968. Read more Cathedral Island 10th century Cathedral Island (Polish: Ostrów Tumski) is an island between two branches of the river Warta. Poznań Cathedral and other ecclesiastical buildings occupy the central part of the island. It is the oldest part of the city. The first known fortified settlement on the island dates from the 8th or 9th century. In the 10th century the settlement became one of the main political centres of the Piast domains, which in turn formed the hub of the early Polish state. At the start of the 11th century the settlement was rebuilt (and enlarged) after suffering destruction caused by a flood, one of many which would periodically affect Poznań throughout history. In 1038 the invading Bretislaus I, Duke of Bohemia, sacked and burnt the settlement. It was rebuilt under Casimir I the Restorer, but the country's capital was now moved to Kraków, and the Greater Poland settlements of Poznań and Gniezno lost their primary political importance. Genius Loci Archeological Park 9th century On Ostrów Island one thousand years ago there was one of the most important centres of the new-created Poland state in that time. In the 1oth century it was full of political, economic, and religious life. Piasts, the first, historicalrulers of Poland, chose the location which intersected the important trade and transport routes. Basing on the habitants of this island, they created a complex system of the stronghold fortifications which were a demonstration of their authority. On Ostrów they erected a stone residence – the seat of the dukes and the kings an they build the first Polish cathedral, in which they were buried. Today in a quiet and charming corner of Poznań, Ostrów Tumski, in order to discover the traces of the importance and the greatness of the former stronghold, one has to dive 6 metres deep into the ground and trace together with the archaeologists the relics of the amazing structure of Poznań fortress. In the Archaeological Reserve Gebius loci one meets the wit and the creativity of the Middle Ages. Centuries ago our ancestors – people with great charisma and being able of enacting wonderful ideas into life as well as encouraging other people to noble ideas, inculcated a good spirit in that place for other generations to be inspired with good ideas. Read more Link: http://www.muzarp.poznan.pl/en/rezerwat/ Category:Walk through the earliest times